There is no doubt about it, all Dyson vacuums have enormous suction power and the new Dyson DC23 Stowaway canister vacuum  is no exception. This together with the smaller Dyson DC24 upright vacuum, Dyson has really improved their offerings in my mind in terms of weight and useability. I took the Dyson DC23 canister for a test drive in my home while we were using it for a photo shoot. Here is what I have to say about it. Since Dyson offers no adjustable controls for the power of their suction, you have mega suction at all times. If you have sturdy carpeting like a Berber or commercial carpeting, this Dyson will do an awesome job. My carpet looked brighter and cleaner in a heartbeat. My problem was that with my area rug (a fake oriental), clouds of carpet fiber got sucked up at the same time, which would not have this vacuum be suitable for my longer term personal use. But if you have wall-to-wall carpeting and not mostly bare floors like myself, this vacuum really rocks - wow! We also tested it for dust emissions and it came out with flying colors, so it is suitable for homes with allergy sufferers.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/dyson-stowaway-dc23-motorhead-canister-vacuum-cleaners.html

Since I have two Siamese cats who deem it their job to roll over and deposit cat hair all over my chocolate velvet couches every day, I have long been interested in a powerful handheld vacuum which is not too heavy but is truly powerful. I confess that while the turbo brush on my Sebo C2 vacuum works wonders, it does necessitate taking out a full sized vacuum which is not my favorite thing to do. So that being said I was eager to try the new Dyson handheld cordless vacuum and I chose the more expensive DC16 Animal model as it had a motorized power head. Be clear you only want to spend this kind of money for a powerful handheld vacuum device when you are drowning in pet hair or your car gets dirty all the time, since this device costs more than most other handhelds, and the charge only lasts for 6-7 minutes before recharging. That being said I have seen these vacuums on TV and I really wanted to try one out - 6 minutes is as much vacuuming as I really want to do anyway!

So the first thing to say about the Dyson DC16 Animal Handheld vacuum ($199.95) is I consider it not attractive, but the guys will love it as it is a macho vacuum! A perfect Father’s Day gift. Considering its size, I was pleasantly surprised at how light it is, which is a big complaint of mine with any vacuum. But here comes the most important thing- if you have pet hair, this handheld vacuum is the most powerful thing I have come across, and my two chairs and couch were thoroughly cleaned in under 6 minutes - I had juice to spare which was amazing to me. In order to save on its power, it only operates when you are depressing the “on button” which I understand, but my hand got tired and was happy that the task was accomplished so quickly. I think it would make short work of dirt in my car, which I will get my share of soon as I intend to visit the nursery prior to planting my garden. It has a really huge receptacle for collecting dirt, so it is not going to get full immediately which is very convenient. So in short, I surprised myself, I like this vacuum and it gets a permanent place in my home. The Dyson DC16 Root handheld without motorhead starts at $149.

  http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/dyson-vacuum-cleaners.html

Alen Air Purifiers Starting at $149.00

It takes a lot for us to add any air purifiers to the web site, let alone our catalog, but we are impressed at several of the Alen Air Purifiers for their affordability, while still offering a good quality product. In particular, the Alen A350 at $399 delivers six air changes covering about a 300 square foot room. These air purifiers are perfect for someone who primarily wants to control allergens during the upcoming allergy season, as their carbon mesh panel will not do any serious odor control. However, for an air purifier which does allergen controls at a very competitive price, we think these are worth taking a look at.

  http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/alen-air-purifiers.html

HAAN Floor Sanitizers   Starting at $89.95

A little bit more on Haan floor sanitizers from last newsletter as I am continuing to use mine on a regular basis in between my more extensive steam cleaning chores. Read all the Haan Customer Reviews on the FS-20 model one which I own. Our customers love them! Besides being a nifty and swift chemical free clean up tool for my kitchen floor, the optional carpet tray is for sanitizing carpets, which to you and I mean killing dust mites in the upcoming spring and summer season. Pet owners will also appreciate its deodorizing properties on carpets. I really do recommend Haan floor steam sanitizer as an addition to your cleaning closet (starting at $89.95).

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/haan-steam-mops.html
 

Periodically my cleaning lady cannot resist buying a bottle of Windex, and I have a nutty because I have mild MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) and also hate the odor of chemicals. So I have stocked up on our new EcoDiscoveries line of eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products, and for now my cleaning lady and I seem to have made peace. I would advise getting their introductory whole house kit and trying all the products in their line up and save on shipping. One of the brilliant things that they have done is ship the bottle empty and give you a little bottle of concentrate which actually makes two whole bottles - you just fill up with water. So you actually get two bottles for the price of one. You can get the refills at anytime and be good to the environment. And all their products work just as well as the supermarket chemical ones- but without the health hazards. I give this brand two thumbs up.

Available as a complete cleaning kit (now on sale for $52.95, or sold individually starting at $9.95 for a bottle).

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/ecodiscoveries-natural-cleaning-products.html

Given the Haan steam mops have been flying out the door and everyone at work was buzzing about them, as steam cleaner fan-in-chief, I decided to take one of these babies home with me to test. I was particularly interested in doing so because I was told it not only did floors but had a short handle so you could clean flat surfaces like my electric stove top. I have found that I am incapable of having any saucepan on the stove without something spilling over at some point. It is just the way it is and I have the toughest of times cleaning the stove top. My floors are also getting a pounding in winter and eagerly await the cleaning lady. However in between her visits the floors look a bit ragged and because of my fragile back which is still recovering from an injury, I am less likely nowadays to take out my beloved Ladybug Vapor Steam Cleaner.

So bear in mind that as a Ladybug fan, I have a tendency to compare the steam mops to multi purpose vapor steam cleaners that cost more. I tested the Haan F30 Burgundy steam mop (starting at $99.95) since the Haan FS-20 steam mop (starting at $99.95) was at a trade show. I filled up the steam mop with no trouble at all; it is nice and lightweight and heated up within 5 minutes or less. This steam mop does not have a “ready light” indicating the steam has reached optimum temperature like more expensive machines, but I knew enough not to start cleaning the moment the machine starts to emit steam, but let it stand a little longer on its heat proof stand. Do not let it stand on your wood floors unprotected otherwise you can burn them, so be warned. The steam mop ran a little wetter than I was used to, but mainly only while it was still heating up to optimum steam temperature levels. I used it on my kitchen floor and the real test was the encrusted cat food droppings that my little darlings so thoughtfully spill all over the floor near the cat bowl. You cannot get this crud clean with a regular mop - trust me - even my obsessive cleaning lady is beaten by this cleaning challenge. The Haan steam mop rose to the occasion- not as fast as my LadyBug, as I had to go over the area a few times to get it really clean- but it did get the job done and the rest of my kitchen floor was really clean without any odor of chemicals. The Haan Steam mop moved around my kitchen floor really easily, and I also did the nearby den wood floor and the wood floor of our entrance way. What I liked was the floor pad was nice and large, and the Velcro attachments are just brilliant! This model has an ergonomic handle, and I confess it did feel nice and easy in my hand.

I am looking forward to testing other models, but I have to say that all in all this is the best floor mop I have tested at this price point, and one of the Haan Steam Mops will find a permanent place in my home. Steam cleaners just do a better job without chemicals, than the mop and bucket routine, and for someone like myself with back problems, they are very user friendly.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/steam-mops.html

Fragrance Free Textile Candles Starting at $18.89

We managed to launch our new line of allergy friendly Imagination candles the week after Christmas. Not the best of timing, but we wanted to make sure that this line of simply beautiful candles did not add any pollution to the room - and our testing team was backed up with new product testing.

I have been depriving myself of candles for years because I did not want to add particulates to any room of my home. When I saw these fragrance free candles and was stunned at their exquisite patterns, achieved by a patented process, I begged our testing team to add them to their schedule. I am pleased to say that they came out with flying colors, and no increase in particulates was detected after several hours of candle burning in a tiny room.

I am especially enchanted at their textile design which has a candle at the bottom of a wax wall, so the light can shine through the pattern. The effect is stunning. My only grumble is that you definitely need a long taper to light the candle. Lighting the candle with a twisted up piece of long paper is NOT the way to go and left a black sooty mark on the candle wall. So now I am informed. But I am also in love. If you like candles or have a loved one who likes candles, these ones are fragrance free and have dozens of patterns to choose from. They would make a great gift to cure someone of the winter blues or for upcoming Mother’s Day. Starting at $18.99.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/candles.html